Jayhawkers aren’t happy with Eric Adams.
The NYC mayor created a stir this week when he threw some mild shade at Topeka. Adams made the comments during a Tuesday prayer breakfast, where he thanked God for making him the mayor of NYC, rather than the capital of Kansas.
“I strongly believe in all my heart, God said, ‘I’m going to take the most broken person and I’m going to elevate him to the place of being the mayor of the most powerful city on the globe,’” he said during the event. “He could have made me the mayor of Topeka, Kansas. He could have made me the mayor of some small town or village somewhere.”
The remarks were immediately criticized as both dismissive and arrogant, with many pointing out Adams’ history of insulting the Sunflower state. According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, the mayor took a jab at Kansas back in September, when he highlighted NYC’s global reputation.
“We have a brand. And when people see it, it means something,” he said at the time. “You know when we go there … Kansas doesn’t have a brand. When you go there, OK, you’re from Kansas. But New York has a brand, and that brand means diversity.”
The family of Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly reportedly responded to the dig by personally delivering a gift basket to Adams’ mayoral residence at Gracie Mansion. Kelly recalled the gesture in a Friday tweet.
“I was in NYC visiting my granddaughter when you disparaged my hometown Topeka KS,” she wrote, before calling on Adams to apologize. “It was this granddaughter who, with her parents, delivered Kansas kindness to you at Gracie Mansion when you disparaged my state last September. Enough already. You owe Kansas an apology.”
In response to Adams’ latest remarks, Visit Topeka and Kansas Tourism announced they are offering NYC residents a free trip to the Kansas capital. Four winners will get an all-inclusive three-day, two-night stay in Topeka. The prize will include hotel accommodations, $500 worth of gift certificates, and roundtrip airfare.
“We look forward to welcoming the Mayor of New York City to Topeka one day,” said Sean Dixon, president of Visit Topeka. “The mayor, like many New Yorkers, may not realize everything Topeka has to offer. We decided to do something about that by partnering with Kansas Tourism to offer residents of New York City the opportunity to try out Topeka, and the great state of Kansas, for themselves!”
NYC residents can learn more about the offer here.
